They Call Me Cupid
by deadtodd
Summary: She had a hole in her heart, literally.
1. Chapter 1

**Grimmy**: _Two fics in one day! Ain't I damn good? Anyways, this is the fic that I've currently been mentioning in my one shots. It's the one that has me going crazy, and it's the one that I will be paying the most attention to. I already have the first four chapters plotted out and the ending in my head. I don't expect this to be too long, maybe ten chapters at least. I do hope you all like it just as much as I do. I think it might just have you all shedding tears towards the end of it._

_I don't own Hey Arnold. This chapter has been betaed as of 8/20_

Chapter 1 - Honor

Bob Pataki sighed angrily as he looked up at the bright white driftway ceiling tiles. He'd stop counting them some time ago in favor of daydreaming about the sexy Latino girl he'd seen moments ago on a beer commercial. How nice it would have been to be the man on the commercial. Laying on the beach, beer in hand, and babes all around. He sighed. That life would have been much easier than this one.

He looked at his youngest daughter again, wondering just when she would wake up so he could head off to work. They seldom got along, especially lately but even he had to admit it to himself. It was unsettling to see her normally grumpy self look so frail and weak. She stirred a bit and he flinched, eyes instantly focusing on the needle that was taped to her wrist. They'd always made him a bit squeamish.

"Hey, girl, you woke?" he said in his typical gruff baritone. It was more of a statement than a question.

Helga groaned and her eyes fluttered open for a moment before closing tightly. "Would it kill ya to close the window?" She huffed and turned away from him. And while it normally would have angered Bob, he felt oddly guilty.

He pulled the thin white string next to him, nearly jumping when the blinds crashed against the windowsill. A sigh passed through his lips when she didn't turn back to face him, an obvious sign that she was still upset. He figured she had good reason to be, and while it wasn't the first time that he realized he wasn't exactly the best father, it sure felt like it. "Look, Olga-"

"It's Helga dad."

"Right Helga. I know I'm not the best father." He paused when she muttered something that probably went along the lines of an agreement. "But we're gonna be stuck with each other for a long time. And I just wanted you to know that I didn't really mean what I said back there." He rubbed the back of his neck, waiting for her response anxiously. For a while she didn't say anything, and he had to wonder if she'd fallen back asleep.

"In case you haven't noticed _Bob_ my time is limited. I'm d-"

The door opened and in stepped a man wearing the standard doctor's attire. Bob was thankful for the interruption even though he knew exactly what his daughter was going to say. It stung his heart to know that he may be losing his daughter forever. And the only one he had left was burying herself in work somewhere far north to distract her from the reality of home life. Things were going south, that much he was certain of. He didn't need anyone to tell him so. He ran a hand through his grey hair, tuning in to just what the doctor was saying.

"You're stressing yourself out Miss Pataki. Your visits are becoming entirely too frequent and I'm sorry to say it but if you keep this behavior up, you won't make it long enough for us to find a donor. This, of course, is excluding the fact that you haven't been taking your medicine. You should know by now just what you're doing to your body."

Bob stood on his feet and watched as a spark reappeared in his daughter's dull blue eyes. Her body stiffened and her eyebrow scrunched downwards to signify her anger. And while he didn't want her to upset herself anymore than she had to, he was secretly glad that she wasn't acting like some vegetable. She was acting alive.

"Look Doc, addiction is a family thing." Her eyes rolled towards Bob, silently noting his workaholic tendencies. "I'm not gonna become drugged up on those _things_ okay." She took a few deep breaths before deadpanning, "I'm going to die anyways. So what if it's sooner than later. It's still going to happen Doc because I'll never find a donor." She shook her head as if to dismiss him, and turned over in her bed, wincing when her IV needle poked her a little too hard."

Bob's heart sank. That had been something she would yell only when they got into arguments. But now she said it because she'd really given up. He wasn't religious but when he got home that night he knew he would pray as hard as he could. He couldn't lose his baby girl. She was the only one he really had left.

The doctor frowned and looked at Bob, who in turn got the feeling that the man was somehow blaming him. "Well I'm sorry to hear you feel that way. Just remember that your family hasn't given up and neither should you." The doctor nodded to Bob and turned to walk out the door.

As soon as he opened it a tiny half Asian girl rushed in to Helga's side, tears visible behind her magnified eyes. Her glasses must have been thicker than he remembered. With one final look at his daughter, Bob too walked out the room. He left the door cracked while he waited for the girl to help Helga gather all her things so they could go. While he waited, he tried to remember the girl's name.

"Oh, Helga, if only I could help... I would gladly..." He could hear soft sobs before his own daughter spoke up.

"Relax Pheebs. I could never ask that of you anyways." He had to lean in closer to the door to hear the next few words. "You're my best friend." Pride, for a reason he didn't fully understand, swelled in his chest.

And for a moment he listened to 'Pheebs' cry. He could have sworn he'd heard Helga crying as well but that was impossible. She didn't cry anymore.

* * *

Helga stomped down the wide sidewalk leading to her house. Bob had to drop her off on the corner because some important business had popped up but she thought it was just some floozy who'd paged him. She was certain that he was off with another woman whenever he left suddenly. And while she would never admit it, the thought sickened and hurt her.

She blinked back tears as she glared at the ground, purposely stepping on every crack and hoping the superstition worked for fathers too. That is until she crashed hard into someone. She blinked rapidly and realized from the jolt of pain up her spine that she had, in fact, landed on her butt. "Watch where you're going football head!"

"Helga!"

Her eyes widened as she realized just who it was sitting, or rather climbing to his feet, in front of her. He reached out to take her hand and after a few moments of staring, wide eyed, she took it and was pulled to her feet. Her brain blanched and her voice box failed her. After waiting for five years, hoping and wishing, he'd returned. She told her body to move and hug him tight and never get go but it was unresponsive.

"Helga," he said again, this time breathlessly as he eyed her warily. "You sure got tall."

And it was then that she noticed that she was still taller than him. Not boy a whole head like when they were younger but by a few measly inches, if that. She swallowed and opened her mouth to say something but the only thing that came out was a dumb sounding, "Arnold?"

He tilted his head but smiled at her anyways before pulling her into a loose hug. "I missed you too."

She had to be dreaming. Her mind was teasing her again because there was no way that Arnold Shortman had returned to Hillwood City. He was off living with his parents, a mission that she'd helped with personally. He couldn't be here hugging her. But he was. And he was hugging her in a way that only Arnold could. A way that made her feel not only safe and secure but oddly giddy as well.

She pushed him. "Look, I don't know what you're talking about football head." And with a nasty scowl she ran the rest of the way home.

* * *

"So they're the ones huh Ellie."

"I thought I told you to call me boss." The girl frowned up at her older companion who only grinned sheepishly at her. She dusted off her long frilly dress and tugged at one of her tightly curled ringlets. "But yeah, they're the ones."

He grinned mischievously at her. "This looks like it's gonna be a toughie." The boy leaned over the edge of the building, as far as he could without falling. His wet and wavy hair swayed a bit in the breeze before before landing back against his face with a soft smack. He watched as the boy with the odd shaped head sighed in defeat and started back towards home.

Ellie yanked him back, making sure to wipe her now wet hand on his shirt. "Don't you dare get us caught." She wrinkled her nose and wiped her hand again. "And do you have to wear your hair like that?"

Another sheepish grin. "Ell, we're dead. Who can see us? And I'll never get rid of my Jheri curls!"

Ellie tsked and rolled her eyes. She was going to have her work cut out for her.

**Grimmy: **_Lol, I'm practically begging you guys for feedback on this. When I say I love this story idea, I really mean love. So, I ask you to review._

_Other notes include pointing out Ellie and her friend. It may be confusing now but I promise you that their job will be all cleared up by chapter three. They just so happen to be extremely relevant to this fic so you might want to pay close attention to just when they happen to pop up. And because I'm feeling nice, I'll give you all a spoiler for the next chapter._

Helga frowned when something tapped her on the ear and landed next to her desk. Looking down, she saw that it was a neatly folded piece of paper. She reached down and picked it up, pausing to look around behind her to see just who had passed it. The friendly smile tipped her off and she tried her hardest not to smile back. She opened it.

___Why didn't you ever write me?_


	2. Chapter 2

**Grimmy**: _ Wait! Those of you who have already read this chapter, tune into the ending A/N for previews for the next one. Those of you who simply want to reread now that I've actually fixed it I hope I did your patience justice. And for those new readers I welcome you with open arms. I must have typed this A/N at least five or six times because every time I added a line it did this weird thing that deleted EVERYTHING I wrote._

_So, I'd like to dedicate this chapter to my first ever reviewer, **RaineforMadeline.** I really appreciate it and I can assure you that your questions will be answered in chapters five and six. _

_I don't own Hey Arnold_

Chapter 2 - Obedience

"Late again Miss Pataki. Should I be expecting the normal excuse or is it something else this time?"

Helga was tempted to glare at her third period teach then flip him off and call him an asshole, but she didn't test her luck. He wasn't making a big deal of it like he'd done in previous times. She simply handed him a note explaining that she had to get her assignments from her other classes and waited for him to give her, her latest assignment.

The teacher scanned the note and looked at her with a smile that wasn't at all friendly. "Hmm, I think you might want to be present for this class Miss Pataki. We have a group project." By the time he finished talking, his crooked teeth were showing and with a scowl Helga took the last seat in the classroom, in the middle of the second row.

She rested her head on her hands, staring idly out the window on the classroom door. Bob was going to pissed that she was taking so long and she could already hear him complaining now now. With an annoyed sigh she slouched down in her desk, half listening to her teacher explain the grading rubric to the class. She figured she'd simply get the information second hand from whoever was in her group.

Helga frowned when something tapped her on the ear and landed next to her desk. Looking down, she saw that it was a neatly folded piece of paper. She reached down and picked it up, pausing to look around behind her to see just who had passed it. The friendly smile tipped her off and she tried her hardest not to smile back. She opened it.

_Why didn't you ever write me?_

She resisted the urge to look back at the boy and ask him what the hell he was talking about. She scrunched up her eyebrow in confusion before a light bulb went off in her head. She knew exactly what he meant and the fact that he'd remembered such an old promise made her feel as if her heart was sinking in her chest. A small fluttery sigh escaped her lips as she picked her brain for an appropriate response.

_Why didn't you write ME football head?__  
_

Now that she looked at the creased sheet of paper she couldn't help but to notice how neat his handwriting was compared to her own loopy script. Instead of scratching out her words, she'd been writing in pen, she folded the paper and passed it back to the boy behind her. It only took a few seconds for him to eagerly toss it back onto her desk.

Again, she looked at him, taking note of his eager smile. His green eyes crinkled around the edges and she determined that it wasn't just a friendly act. He was actually still that nice. Heat flooded her cheeks and she turned back around in her seat, ready to read her note only to see it gone off her desk. Her eye twitched when she saw her teacher standing over her, a smirk on his face as he read _her _note.

"You two seem chummy, why don't you work together?" he practically hissed at her. The way he'd said it made her feel unsure about his intentions and before she could object the bell for the next class period rang. Her blonde hair fell over the side of her face, she hadn't bothered pinning it up that morning, and through the cluster of strands she could see the boy collecting his things and fidgeting as he played with the clasp on his bag. There wasn't really anything wrong with it and she knew he was just waiting for her.

It had been a while since she'd smiled sincerely. To be honest, she was certain that she'd forgotten to do so. But at that moment she couldn't help it. She stood up and began to push what few things she'd taken out back into her bag as she looked out the window. And for the briefest of moments she could have sworn she saw the shadow of a little girl on the window's clear surface.

"Mind if I walk you to class Miss Pataki?"

She nearly jumped out of her skin; she hadn't expected him to actually say anything to her. Or stand so close at that. She considered just what he was asking. On the plus side, she would get a free chance to spend time with him outside of work. And it was on his request. On the negative side, she should have been gone a good five minutes ago. She wasn't so sure that Bob would wait for her.

* * *

"Do something Ellie! Make her say yes! Make her invite him back-"

"Look Moe," Ellie interrupted, irritation evident. "I can't make her do anything. I can only help guide them to their decisions. I'd get in a lot of trouble if I interfered directly." She frowned at the older boy. "Don't you pay attention at all?"

He rolled his eyes and leaned forward in the tree, pushing leaves out of his way so he could get a better look. "Yeah well she almost saw you boss lady. Talk about irresponsible." He sniffed and glanced back at her out of the corner of his eyes. "Besides, this is something that you can _influence_."

She shook her head at him and pressed her palm flat against her forehead. "No I can't because this is the first ultimate decision. This is how we find out if this is what she truly wants. It's the changing point."

Moe sighed and leaned back in the tree, it was oddly comfortable. He waved a hand at Ellie, completely dismissing her. "It's no fun watching them if they aren't going to do anything," he said in a rather obnoxious tone. He crossed his legs and put his hands behind his head, opting to watch the clouds drift across the sky instead of studying the potential couple.

"Oh, you're just a pervert," she replied, slapping him on his chest. A satisfied smirk tugged at her lips when he cried out. It probably didn't hurt him but it did shock him to the point that he almost fell out of the tree.

He pouted at the younger girl. "I didn't mean like that Ell."

While she did believe him she folded her arms across her chest and stared him down. "The sooner you learn to do what you're supposed to, the sooner I can get rid of ya'. I never knew having a student would suck."

"Hey!"

* * *

A walk from class to class to collect school work had soon turned into a walk home. Helga hadn't expected to be at school longer than a couple of minutes so she hadn't brought bus fair. And of course Bob had to leave after she stayed an entire class period. If people weren't so stupid in the first place she would have actually considered staying the rest of the day. It wasn't often that she got to go to school anymore and a part of her missed it.

It just so happened that her companion didn't have too much change on him at the moment either. He was planning to get a ride with a friend of his. Someone she remembered rather well. Gerald Johanssen. She hadn't seen much of him lately but the few people she managed to keep in contact with mentioned him quite a bit. Last she'd heard he had won a full ride football scholarship to play for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

She wasn't surprised that the boy next to her chose him of all people to ride with. They had been the best of friends before he left and that didn't seem to have changed with the way he talked about the boy. It was almost like he admired him.

But as soon as he heard that she didn't have bus fair he insisted that she let him walk her home. He even willingly decided to skive off of the rest of the day, saying that they could get started on their project early. Not only that but he also offered to carry her books, hold open doors, and any other gentlemanly thing he could think of. No, he certainly hadn't changed.

"I'm tellin' ya' Arnold. The Hurricanes are just gonna swoop in and kick everyone's ass. Just you wait. Miami is gonna completely dominate." Football had become the topic of conversation, and although she didn't watch it religiously she knew quite a bit about it. It would be impossible to live with a father like hers and be completely clueless when concerning the sports world.

Arnold groaned and shook his head. "No way," he argued. "It's gonna be between Georgia and Alabama this year for sure. I just know it."

She rolled her eyes, smiling nonetheless. He looked like a boy receiving Christmas presents and she had no choice but to deduce that baseball was no longer his favorite sport. Football was and while her love for it had dulled over the years she had to admit, it was entertaining. She wished she could play it like she used to.

He shot her a mischievous grin. "Besides, you only like the Hurricanes because The Rock played there. Do'ya' smell what The Rock is cookiiin'," he said in his best impersonation voice. He'd remembered her love for wrestling and she almost let out a fluttery sigh.

Helga stopped walking so she could lean forward and laugh at the boy. "Arnold, your imitations suck!"

Happy didn't even describe her mood at that moment.

**Grimmy: **_Did I sound like I knew what I was talking about when it came to football? I'll tell you now. I'm a football NOOB. Although I do know a bit about the Miami Hurricanes, thanks to my being a fan of wrestling. I read The Rock's autobiography, lol. It was funny. Figured I should tell you all. And of course, because I'm from Georgia I had to toss in the Bulldogs. __Of course, the only thing I ask for is reviews. They feed mah sooooul. And here's your preview for the next chapter._

Helga stared at the empty sofa and it was as if she realized that Miriam wasn't there for the first time. Even still she had hope that she'd come home and find out her mother was passed out drunk while the TV played old episodes of General Hospital. Shestared at it for a while before Arnold tapped her on the shoulder, confused.

"You okay Helga?"

She hadn't realized it but the look she gave him was one so sad that he had to shift uncomfortably. "I'm fine," she lied through her teeth.


	3. Chapter 3

**Grimmy**: _Hello, hello! I'm absolutely happy that I finally got past the tiny bit of writer's block I encountered when writing this chapter. Can you spot where I got stuck? I sure hope not. Anyways I credit my sudden source of inspiration to the song Landslide, performed by Fleetwood Mac. I simply love that version. And of course I draw inspiration from my reviewers. Thanks a lot guys, I really appreciate it. _

_One thing I'd like to note that I actually wanted to point out in the first chapter. I feel that people portray Bob as a complete uncaring bastard when there are actually episodes actually proving that he's not so bad. My favorite being Quality Time. Of course, no ones perfect and his flaws just tend to shine through more than his good qualities. Not that I always condone his behavior. I just think that people are a bit hard on him and I hope with this fic I can change that view people seem to have of him. _

_My nephew says hi to you all and of course I don't own Hey Arnold._

Chapter 3 - Diligence

Helga held the little red bean shaped piece of candy up to her face and looked at it from all sides. Arnold had convinced her to to walk to the corner store with him before they went back to her house. With three quarters and nickel he had, he bought two packs of Boston Baked Beans and a pack of Lemonheads. Naturally, she was more than happy to accept his offer of Lemonheads but it was the Boston Baked Beans that she was unsure about. They were currently sitting on her stoop and she'd been studying one for the past five minutes.

"Helga, it's not poison," he said with an exasperated sigh.

She looked at him, disbelief on her face and went back to studying it. "So you say it's not really a bean?" She crossed her eyes and pressed the tip of her tongue flat against the piece of candy, not really tasting anything. It was smooth and if she had to guess, the red part was probably some sort of candy coating.

Arnold groaned as if he was fed up with her antics but she could tell from the smile on his face that he was only acting. "It's just candy coated peanuts."

Tilting her head and staring at him, she asked, "Then why call it a bean?" It was the first new question she'd asked in a while. But it did make sense. Why call candy coated peanuts baked beans?

He frowned and pushed the back of her hand so it just fell into her mouth. "I don't really know," he said, watching in disdain as she spat it back into her hand.

Helga glared at the boy and wiped her damp hand on his cheek, laughing when he tried to get away and almost fell into the hedges next to the steps. "I wasn't ready you dork." With a huff she popped it into her mouth and chewed.

She expected it to actually taste like baked beans but it was so much better. First the sweet outside assaulted her taste buds. Then came the roasted peanut flavor. The completely different flavors mixed as they were rolled around in her mouth. It was a wonderful combination. And much to her amazement it was pretty damn good and before she knew it she'd popped another one in her mouth.

"I told you, you'd like them," Arnold said, handing her the unopened box and taking the open one for himself.

Helga stood from her spot on the steps and took out her door key so she could open the door. "Yeah, well, your head is shaped dumb," was the only retort she could think of as she entered the house. Arnold's reply of, 'Whatever you say Helga,' wasn't unexpected and he followed in behind her.

She flashed him a short lived smile before looking into her father's trophy room to see if her mother was passed out drunk again. She felt foolish when she didn't see anyone and her heart felt heavy when she remembered just where her mother was at the moment. She picked up a note off the table next to the stairs that led to the bedrooms. It was in Bob's messy handwriting, not that it could have been anyone else. It read: _Out late. Don't wait up. Be back before 2_.

Helga scowled at the paper, crushing it in her fist before tearing the crumpled thing in to halves. She'd be alone again.

Helga stared back at the empty sofa and it was as if she realized that Miriam wasn't there for the first time. Even still she had hope that she'd come home and find out her mother was passed out drunk while the TV played old episodes of General Hospital. She stared at it for a while before Arnold tapped her on the shoulder, confused.

"You okay Helga?"

She hadn't realized it but the look she gave him was one so sad that he had to shift uncomfortably. "I'm fine," she lied through her teeth. She didn't miss his disbelieving look but she ignored it anyways. What did he know?

She turned, leading him up the steps to her bedroom. It had changed very little over the years aside from some new posters with characters from either wrestling or old cartoons she used to watch. There was even a cut out of Tommy Pickles, the leader baby from the hit show Rugrats, wearing aviator goggles over dresser. Arnold smiled fondly at it, thinking of his childhood.

"Hey Arnold! You there?" Helga asked as she waved her hand in front of the boy. She supposed it was a bit like the boy to zone out every now and then, he was a dreamer, but he didn't have to be so annoyingly hard to snap out of it.

"Yeah, I was just admiring."

Helga scowled. There wasn't anything to admire in this dumpy old room, at least not in her opinion. As of late she'd come to hate her room because it reminded her of what she tried so desperately forget. She guessed that Bob had been in her room not too long ago. There was an indention on the side of the bed in the shape of his butt and the picture on her nightstand stood up. Her eyes flashed over it before she put it back in a face down position.

It was the only picture she had of her family in her room. She was about two and wore a large cowboy hat while she sat on her father's shoulders. He didn't look so grumpy back then. He actually looked proud of the girl on top of his shoulders. Her mother was leaning back against a wooden fence, smiling, looking simply radiant as she tipped her straw hat to the sky. And Olga looked younger, prettier than she did at current as she waved to the camera. Long gone were the days that they could all go out on vacation. Long gone were the days that they were happy.

"Why don't you keep it face up?" Arnold asked innocently. Again she forgot that he was in the room.

"Because I fucking hate that picture," she muttered as she plopped down on the bed. He wasn't there. He didn't know. He was off saving the world with his family. Those were the things that she tried to tell herself but they only served to make her angrier. He _should_ have been there. She needed him...

He attempted to flash her a friendly smile as he said, "I don't think so. I think you really like it."

"Yeah, well I think you're wrong football head. Let's just get this project done." Her voice had significantly colder and she felt oddly happy to see that he'd noticed it as well. She almost smiled when he flinched away from her but that twisted feeling of joy was soon replaced by guilt. That is until he took a seat next to her, she was the one flinching after that.

"Helga...," he said softly. If there had been an icy barrier around her heart it would have melted at that point. Even after all these years he managed to charm her without realizing it. "What's wrong? I just want to help you."

"Then give me your heart," she muttered dryly, not caring if he heard her or not.

Helga slid a silver laptop from underneath her bed only to place it on her pillow. She twisted her body so that she was looking at the loading screen and not at the boy who she fell for before she was fully potty trained. He didn't say anything and she assumed that he didn't know just how to take her blunt request. Given their past history she figured that he thought she was talking in a romantic sense.

She felt him shift on the bed before she heard his voice. It wasn't too much deeper than it was before he moved away. The thought made her smile a bit. "I can't help you if you won't take me seriously Helga."

That angered her. Did he not know just how serious she was being at the moment? He obviously didn't. She turned back to him, her lips twisted down in a ferocious snarl. "Look, _Arnold_, you're not some fucking deity who can raise the dead or heal the sick. You can't work miracles and this," she reached over to the picture on her nightstand, "is just a load of crap. Feel free to shove your morals up your ass because the sooner you do, the sooner you realize that life sucks!" She flung the picture against the wall, feeling tears build up in her eyes as it smashed.

He just didn't understand and she hated herself for being so complex.

* * *

"Ellie! What in the hell are you doing? She's never been this cold to anyone before! We're supposed to make people fall in love, not hate each other! I thought we were supposed to make that girl happy before she croaks."

Ellie huffed and resisted the urge to punch her student in the face. "Shut up Moe. I know what I'm doing." She crossed her arms and looked through the window at the arguing teenagers and soon the one with the odd shaped head stomped out of the house. If she'd been less annoyed at the moment she would have laughed when he slipped on the ice.

Moe pouted and pushed his hair out of his face. "What do you know. You're like ten. I had three girlfriends before I died and you've never even kissed a boy!" He knew it was a low blow but he was in just a bad of mood as the girl he was arguing with.

She turned and glared at him. "I died in 1902 rookie. I've been hooking people up before you were even born. _I_ did the famous Philip and Gertie case if you don't remember." She stood on her toes so she could make her point loud and clear. "And last time I checked you completely messed up the Arnie and Lola case after I set everything up for you perfectly. I'm the boss here."

He looked away from her, face red with anger. "Whatever you say _boss lady_. Try and keep your knickers out a twist."

Ellie punched him hard in the ribcage, smirking when he fell to the ground with a groan.

* * *

Helga reached down to pick up the slightly bent picture off the ground, careful not to prick herself on the glass that surrounded it. She wiped a few angry tears from her eyes only to have more leak. And when she realized that she couldn't stop them she left her bedroom completely, picture in tight in her hands.

With a sad sigh she climbed into her father's bed and curled up underneath the thick blue comforter, right in the middle. She was doing it again. Driving everyone away. She curled up as tight as she could and held the crumpled picture to her chest, wishing, not for the first time, for a little more time to make things right.

**Grimmy: **_In other, unimportant, news, I updated my profile. Yay me! Of course, like always I only ask you guys for reviews filled with your opinion on the story thus far. And your preview for the next chapter of course. I actually just went batshit insane looking for my outlines for it. So here you are:_

"Her mother? What happened to her?"

"I really shouldn't be telling you this..."

"Please... I have to know!"

"Okay, it happened not too long ago. Things were already getting worse but it just went to an all time low when they had to hospitalize her..."


	4. Chapter 4

**Grimmy:** _So, the last chapter was actually supposed to end in a cliffhanger with Arnold calling up Phoebe and she'd say the line that would lead to the flashback at the beginning of this chapter and the next. Buuut after thinking about it I like it better this way. It's more like a preview for things to come and I got to show Bob and Helga bonding briefly. Although, this chapter did take me quite a while to write because I was not only hit by writer's block but it felt extremely awkward. It was even hard to write when I did the outline and it's probably my least favorite. I'm just glad that I'm done with it. _

_Hopefully I'll have the next chapter out in a few days but no promises. My life decided to pick up all of a sudden and I'm going to be busy all this weekend and most of the following week. Update progress of all my stories will now be noted at the bottom of my profile._

_Anyways, I don't own Hey Arnold!_

Chapter 4 - Wisdom

_"Dammit Angle! Take him out!" Bob yelled at the TV. He shook his fists and growled when his yelling did no good and his daughter chuckled.__  
_

_"Looks like its time for some Sweet Chin Music Bob. I take cash, thanks," Helga said with a small smirk. _

_This had been one of the few times that they actually got along with each other. Not that it was unexpected considering their love for wrestling. Bob was more than happy to submit to her demands that he order one of the biggest wrestling events since Wrestlemania earlier that year on pay-per-view. It had cost him a good fifty dollars and from the looks of things it was going to cost him another fifty. He regretted accepting his daughter's bet._

_Last time he would ever bet on Kurt Angle._

_"Yeah, yeah, we still got Orton facing Triple H. Don't get your hopes up little lady. Triple H has got this in the bag!"__  
_

_Helga rolled her eyes and grinned at her father. For once she actually liked his brash behavior. "Maybe if Randy Orton has a stroke," she argued. _

_Hearing a whiny cry, Helga looked away from the screen for a moment to see her mother, swaying back and forth and looking rather pale. If it hadn't been for the vast amounts of junk food she probably would have joined them on the couch. Helga had forgotten that she was forced to retreat to the kitchen and she suddenly felt guilty. _

_Her mother had been off the bottle for a while but she was swaying as if she was drunk and her voice held that same lack of enthusiasm that she knew all too well. She didn't want to be the reason that her mother was drinking her life away, especially because she couldn't push a few super sized bag of chips to the floor to make room for her in their small family. So with a friendly smile she stood to her feet, swallowing as she offered her mother her own spot on the sofa. _

_"Hey, little lady, just where do you think you're going?" __  
_

_She looked back at her father, confused for a moment before it finally dawned on her that he wanted her to be there for the outcome of the match. She didn't know why that surprised her. Shrugging, she replied, "I'm offering mom a spot on the couch."_

_He groaned in response and slapped his forehead. "Miriam's just fi-"_

_He didn't get to finish his sentence. Instead he got the pleasure of watching his wife fall forward, seemingly in slow motion, and hit the ground. Hard. His eyes widened as he hopped off the couch as soon as his daughter rushed forward. _

_Helga shook her mother a few times, calling her name whenever it crossed her mind that she might respond to sound, but her mother's face didn't change. Her pale green eyes were hidden behind her eyelids and her blonde hair was frazzled as it lay around her. She watched blankly as her mother stopped breathing before screaming, "Call 9-1-1!"_

_Bob blinked before leaping into action. That wait for the ambulance had been the longest one of his life_...

* * *

"You don't mean..."

"I'm afraid so Arnold. She's been more than a little hostile after that... If you could be patient then maybe..."

Arnold frowned at the sound of the voice on the phone. It had sounded so hopeful for a moment before going back to hopeless. He swallowed as he tried to figure out just what she'd been about to say. He was almost certain that she was asking him to give Helga a few extra chances, not that he didn't already know she would need it. But there was something else. Something that she was asking, without asking at all. Saying it like that confused him greatly.

With a sigh he asked, "What happened after that Phoebe?"

He normally didn't like to pry but he simply had to unravel the mystery of Helga G. Pataki. It almost surprised him, how determined he was to know her secrets, to know everything he possibly could about her. She'd always struck him as a little odd, even when they were children and now that he had the chance, he let his curiosity get the better of him.

"Well..."

* * *

Looking around the classroom one final time he wasn't surprised when he realized the person he was looking for didn't show up. From what he'd heard, she didn't show up to school too much and the few times that she did actually come, she either ditched halfway through or she was only there to collect and return school work. After asking around he concluded that she either didn't care about school or she just didn't want to be there. And from what Phoebe had told him three nights prior he assumed it was the latter.

Wanting to feel better about his plans later today, he told himself that he needed to meet up with her for their project's sake. But in reality he was afraid that just maybe she'd done something a little drastic and wouldn't be showing up at school for quite some time. Thoughts like those made his stomach sink so he tried to avoid them in general but it was a bit hard. Especially when he was so familiar with her sometimes dramatic attitude.

With a frustrated sigh, Arnold gathered his things as the final bell rang.

He flashed a friendly smile to the students who waved him goodbye before he followed them out of the classroom, walking fast with one thing on his mind. The bus couldn't get there fast enough, in his opinion, and as soon as he got on he pulled out his cell phone to dial a number that he was surprisingly familiar with. Not getting an answer, he dialed a few more times only to get the answering machine again.

That worried him.

"Helga, where are you," he muttered to himself as her house came into view. He pulled the thin gray cord that told the driver to let him off at the next stop, all too happy when he was finally able to hop off the bus. And in a few large steps he was at her front door, knocking for all he was worth. After a while he decided that she wasn't home, and sat down on her stoop, waiting for her return.

But seconds turned into minutes and before he knew it an hour had passed. Yawning loudly, Arnold stood up, stretching his arms high above his head.

"What the heck are you doing here football head?"

"Helga!"

Arnold hopped up off the stoop and hugged her tight. When she didn't push him away like he expected her to he slowly stepped back and let his arms fall to his sides, observing the pleased expression on her face. He could have sworn he heard a little sigh before she shoved a few bags, he'd only then noticed her arms full of groceries, into his arms.

"What's with you?" she asked as she walked up to the door. She paused for a moment before finally pulling out her key, shoving it into the lock, and opening the door. She took a few steps in and he wondered if he should follow, she hadn't exactly invited him.

"Well...," he started to say. "I was just worried since we didn't exactly... Uh, we didn't..." Arnold frowned when he realized he didn't know exactly how he wanted to phrase what he wanted to say. He felt rather relieved when Helga took pity on him and finally told him to come inside. He walked in after her, feeling a bit out of place as he followed her to the kitchen.

"Want some cereal?" she asked as she picked up a bowl and started pouring, the box was labeled ChipMates, a bowl full of what appeared to be miniature chocolate cookies. And with a small smile she doused them lightly with milk.

Arnold frowned. He simply didn't understand how she could be so mad one day then so calm, almost happy, the next. Perhaps it was just one of those girl things but whatever it was, it was unsettling. Twiddling his thumbs and sighing softly he finally muttered, "I know what happened to your mother."

* * *

"Ellie... What did you do?"

Ellie looked at the boy next to her who was nervously looking at the frozen scene before them. She sighed and ran a hand through her blonde hair as she calmly said, "I know what I'm doing. Remember?"

He shook his head and took a few steps back. Glancing slightly at the couple of blondes at the kitchen table he mouthed a swear. "I'm not getting in trouble for this one. I'm already so close to becoming an official and I can't let you mess it up. Do you realize that when you unfreeze time she's going to-"

"To do nothing! She loves him remember. I got this." Ellie sneered and folded her arms across her chest. "I think I'd know her better than you would."

"Just because you're her-"

"It means a lot more than you'd possibly be able to understand," Ellie interrupted once again, her growing anger evident. "If you're so worried why don't you go work on another case. Plenty of potential couples out there that you can mess around with." She waved her hand dismissively.

Moe wrinkled his nose and glared at her. The last thing he said before he vanished was a snotty response of, "Fine."

**Grimmy:** _Man, I still remember watching that Royal Rumble match back when I was younger. We got it for free and like Bob, my dad rooted for Angle. Back when I actually liked John Cena I was all for him. And of course I was on Randy Orton's side. He's still one of my all time favorite wrestlers. __So, next chapter is going to be the most important one yet even though it won't focus on our main pairing. :) Here's a sneak peek:_

"Stupid bossy know-it-all," Moe muttered as he floated down the street, a scowl on his face. At the sound of a loud maniacal cackle he looked across the street to see a boy, not too much older than him, take off down the street clutching a lacy pair of women's underwear. This was interesting...

"Dammit! Get back here!"


End file.
